One of Holland's most promising bands has been digging the gold, Icepick's long awaited debut CD is out now. Inspired by the work of the great old New York bands Bad Brains and Cro-Mags and with lyricism reflecting the heart and soul of the frontman, a better follow up to their very well received 'No Forgiveness' demo is hardly imaginable.

Take a trip to memory lane in Dutch hardcore and reminisce one of the most promising bands from the Netherlands in the last decade. It was 2003 when a young band called Icepick put out a demo on Discontent Records. The 5 songs inspired by bands like Cro Mags, Bad Brains and the Icemen turned many people's head. I still remember setting up a show in a small pub and the weeks before you could feel the tension rising and before Icepick struck their first note, you knew the place would explode. Numerous shows throughout Europe followed and meanwhile the band got picked up by Not Just Words Records for their debut CD 'Goldrush'. This simply was the perfect follow up to their amazing demo. Some more Icemen and later-era Cro Mags influences were thrown in the mix, and all songs were delivered with so much precision, the harsh riffs, precious drum fills, the guitarsolos and the honest lyrics, you just had to bang your head to this one… 'Goldrush' got alot positive feedback and Icepick again played all over Europe. And then things got silent.
Until 2010 when a show in the Innocent, Hengelo (NL) was announced. Then on some trip to the UK, singer Emiel also noticed that there were 2 songs still unreleased, that Icepick would love to get out. Of course The Limit Records was very eager to do this job, so here we go. This record will be out for the one and only final Icepick show on August 8, 2010 at the Innocent, Hengelo (NL) with alot more great bands like Bitter End and New Morality. So be sure to get there and give Icepick the final show they deserve.

After nearly two years of being out of press, Revelation Records has re-released Ignite's debut full-length cd, Call On My Brothers. Originally put out by Conversion Records, the amazing remastered classic is now giving new fans the opportunity to hear why Ignite has achieved such a large worldwide following, while allowing old fans to hear the album as it was intended to be.

After nearly two years of being out of press, Revelation Records has re-released Ignite's debut full-length CD, "Call On My Brothers." Originally put out by Conversion Records, the amazing remastered 17 song classic is now finally be available, giving new fans the opportunity to hear why Ignite has achieved such a large worldwide following while allowing old fans to hear the album as it was intended to be. New pressing now available on colored vinyl. Vinyl version includes digital download of this record.

Ignite is a band reminiscent of those that made Rev the quintessential hardcore label it became in the late 80's and early 90's. Such bands as No For An Answer, Uniform Choice, Gorilla Biscuits, Sick Of It All, Quicksand, Inside Out, Youth of Today, etc, flavored with the sounds of 90's So Cal punk rock, paved the way for Ignite. 'Past Our Means' showcases Ignite's talent for playing fast, furious, and great sing along songs.

Ignivomous was among the first of many recent bands to breathe cold morbid breath into the decrepit form of dark and brooding Death Metal. Reinvigorating the style of metal perfected over a decade earlier by the likes of Incantation and Immolation is a task the band has not taken lightly. Rote mimicry was never the path chosen by Ignivomous on their previous releases and with their second album, "Contragenesis," the band pushes even further and still manages to expand the boundaries of their sound. What separates Ignivomous from their peers is the intuitive nature of the songwriting. As with so many classic albums, intuition is the driving force behind "Contragenesis." The band demonstrates that it can unfold the pieces of each song in such a way that the listener is drawn completely into the work. Every turn and transition is carefully sculpted so that the detail is preserved while still moving the entirety of the composition forward toward its zenith. This attention to detail forces the listener to notice the micro-elements and simultaneously behold the overarching structure. Ignivomous prove that they have mastered the ability of imbuing this highly technical Death Metal with a certain elasticity that renders the songs listenable and engaging. The ferocity of the songs is never degraded and the parts are flexible enough to prevent the sterility that is all too common in technical music. The interplay between the two guitars is largely responsible for this effect as is the organic and unaffected production of the album. Radical tempo shifts and unpredictable melodies also enhance the mystique of Ignivomous' music. While some bands look to include new instruments or samples or some other novel gimmick to alter their sound, Ignivomous never change the ingredients of their work. Relying upon only the most fundamental and traditional elements of Death Metal, Ignivomous are masters of incorporating subtle, intuitive alterations within the formula that constantly reinvent the work. By the end of "Contragenesis" the image that Ignivomous create is one of pure apocalyptic nihilism. A burned out world consumed by the void of its own collapsed spiritual infrastructure. The closing track in particular, entitled "The Last Cadence to Bloodshed," leaves the listener alone and spiritless in an empty world. To augment the expression of desolation within the music, Ignivomous called upon the inimitable TK to conjure similarly abject visual imagery for the album. The combined result is a Death Metal masterpiece, the power of which will be felt for years to come.

LONG AWAITED STUNNING NEW ALBUM FROM EMPEROR FRONTMAN IHSAHN!
OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has recorded a guest appearance on the track "Unhealer" from the forthcoming solo album from former EMPEROR vocalist/guitarist Ihsahn, entitled "angL". Ihsahn commented: "We've been talking about doing something for a while and I'm really happy it finally came together. Needless to say, Mikael's performance is nothing short of amazing!" Asgeir Mickelson and Lars Norberg (both of SPIRAL ARCHITECT) were responsible for laying down the drum and bass tracks on the CD, respectively. Ihsahn said, "Asgeir and Lars have delivered a rock-solid foundation for the whole album. Pounding blast-beats to slow fretless passages are all performed with great precision." "angL" is tentatively due mid-spring via Mnemosyne Productions/Candlelight Records. Ihsahn previously described the musical direction of the new CD as "a natural progression from 'The Adversary' [2006], but with a somewhat heavier touch."